New SG bino harness is on the way ...

[Bearwhisky]

Hunting is not combat. There really isn’t that much that requires quick access (IMO). And, you probably have a pack. Then, you have a large number who pack large glass spotters and spend the bulk of time glassing. I don’t see any need for a “chest rig” if spending significant time glassing. If it is really important it will be in my pack.

Show me the use case for a chest rig. I am open to ideas. Form, just saw your post. If you want all that accessible, that’s fine. I don’t see a need for most of that to be on my chest.
I have never carried a pistol. I don’t need extra mags immediately available, or a knife, headlamp, emergency kit, chapstick, any more available than they are in a pack lid or pocket.

My bino harness has binos, rangefinder, my phone, a small cow call, and a lens cloth. And that amount bugs me, but will concede I want it readily accessible. I truly dislike having it on my chest. All that extra stuff, no chance.

edit: on the waist belt of pack I have a small pocket that will have an extra mag (Tikka) and a compass is tied in on a lanyard so it’s never lost.

One use case for carrying more on a harness…

Spot an animal and go on a stalk. Drop your pack to be quiet. Stalk goes on longer and further than expected. Gets dark and have trouble finding pack. If have a light could find your pack. If dont find it and have some essential gear can make it overnight without pack.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[prm]

One use case for carrying more on a harness…

Spot an animal and go on a stalk. Drop your pack to be quiet. Stalk goes on longer and further than expected. Gets dark and have trouble finding pack. If have a light could find your pack. If dont find it and have some essential gear can make it overnight without pack.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Valid use case IF you ever leave your pack. I never do that. But if someone does, I’d sure want some stuff with me.

 

[woods89]

Me as well.
It seems that people want to wear base layers, fleece, some version of a softshell or wind break, etc. on top even while moving with a pack. That is a very poor way to go.

When I am moving, unless very cold (single digits or low teens) it’s just a t-shirt and a thin wind shirt. My arms get a little cold, but the only thing the wets out is my back under the pack and some under the chest pouch. If it is really cold I use the Aclima Woolnet mesh base layer- why I went to it to begin with. Them when I stop for shot periods, puff jacket goes on over top. If stopping to glass, the top s come off, base layer goes on skin, t shirt goes on top of that unless totally soaked, then some version of a mid layer, then a puffy last.






The pants pocket thing I can’t do except for one spare magazine and the phone. Items fall out if pockets aren’t secured completely and they tend to get broken crawling or dropping down prone quickly. Also it’s just annoying having items flopping and swishing in pockets.





Again, I’m not saying anyone should do what I wrote. What I wrote is the result of seeing a large number of people hunting, the issues that they/we had, and the best solutions that have come out of it.





That’s how every “active” jacket should be for western hunting. It’s another thing like proper stock design that is silently not done because of how it looks.

I usually hike in a light baselayer and windshirt (BD Alpine Start). Similar strategy, I stop and put on a Alpha Direct layer and a puffy immediately. I did test a set of Woolnet bottoms this year, and will be getting more.

On the jacket thing, 100% agreed. Someone needs to make a hooded jacket, either light fleece or Alpha Direct with a face, and either a mesh or windshirt fabric back panel. It makes so much sense once you wear one.

I may have to try a more robust harness again. In thinking about this, I was not using as good of baselayers when I had my AGC, and maybe that would change things.

 

[Helislacker]

Hunting is not combat. There really isn’t that much that requires quick access (IMO). And, you probably have a pack. Then, you have a large number who pack large glass spotters and spend the bulk of time glassing. I don’t see any need for a “chest rig” if spending significant time glassing. If it is really important it will be in my pack.

Show me the use case for a chest rig. I am open to ideas. Form, just saw your post. If you want all that accessible, that’s fine. I don’t see a need for most of that to be on my chest.
I have never carried a pistol. I don’t need extra mags immediately available, or a knife, headlamp, emergency kit, chapstick, any more available than they are in a pack lid or pocket.

My bino harness has binos, rangefinder, my phone, a small cow call, and a lens cloth. And that amount bugs me, but will concede I want it readily accessible. I truly dislike having it on my chest. All that extra stuff, no chance.

edit: on the waist belt of pack I have a small pocket that will have an extra mag (Tikka) and a compass is tied in on a lanyard so it’s never lost.

Pack separation is always a possibility, particularly in steep country if you take it off to air out or take a load off.

I just know I’d never want to be in a situation where I couldn’t access bare minimum survival gear such as a fire starter, knife, etc on my person at all times.

Additionally, there has been one time where I had to ditch my pack and run a half mile to a shooting position to make legal light. While I try to never leave my pack; this was a rare example where I decided to roll the dice and it resulted in success. If I dumped my pack and didn’t have a chest harness, i wouldn’t have been able to get organized, ID and range the target bull in time.

 

[Formidilosus]

Hunting is not combat.

I’m not sure why you are bringing up combat, other than to use it as a red herring. Hunting is a task. Do the task long enough, with enough different people, in enough varying environments, note the successes and the failures, and “optimum” solutions are going to show themselves.

There really isn’t that much that requires quick access (IMO).

It isn’t just about “require” it’s about optimization, but ok-

Binos don’t require quick access? Spare ammunition doesn’t require quick access? A TQ doesn’t require quick access? A flashlight doesn’t require quick access?

And, you probably have a pack. Then, you have a large number who pack large glass spotters and spend the bulk of time glassing. I don’t see any need for a “chest rig” if spending significant time glassing. If it is really important it will be in my pack.

And packs get left behind all the time. I have had hunters that everyone on this board would know, that swear that they never take their pack off ever- do so the very first time I hunted or shot with them, and didn’t even recognize that they did so when it was pointed out. Of course when pointed out that they left their pack and crawled 20-100 yards away from it- most have tried to deny, downplay, or say “it’s never happened before”. Yeah, I’m sure it hasn’t. Just like people that claim they’ve never had to adjust their scope a single click when checking zero.


Sitting and glassing when an animal is spotted, then goes “just out of sight” and moving quickly a few yards to get a shot without packing up the bag and putting it on happens all the time to people that actually hunt in the west. It happened to me and those I hunted with probably 20 times this fall alone.
For a buddy and I the “quick 30 yard dash to get a shot on an elk” turned into being 250+ yards from my buddies pack (I grabbed mine), our tripod and spotter, Jet boil with breakfast, puff suit, etc. Then the next day a mad rush to get on animals moving through camp after waking up late meant I was in my sleep clothes and my bino pack only, and my buddy had his pants and top on with a rifle, but didn’t grab his bino pack or backpack. And that quick 30 yard dash turned into a 500 yard+ chase and rodeo that ultimately resulted in a missed opportunity because he didn’t have what he needed.

Show me the use case for a chest rig. I am open to ideas. Form, just saw your post. If you want all that accessible, that’s fine. I don’t see a need for most of that to be on my chest.

Ok. If you hunt a certain way that those things don’t matter, great.

My experience of hunting on average virtually nonstop in the west from the beginning of October to middle January, and then again for 30-60 days in the spring with between 8-15 different people a year is different. The amount of rodeos, screw ups and failures I’ve seen from the “I’ve never needed” crowd is astounding.

I have never carried a pistol. I don’t need extra mags immediately available, or a knife, headlamp, emergency kit, chapstick, any more available than they are in a pack lid or pocket.

Ok? Who is trying to convince you that you need a chest pack?
I answered what you and woods wrote with “why” a bino pack might be designed a certain way. I could not care less how or what you carry.

I can tell you with absolute certainty (because everyone that has hunted with us twice has done so) that if you came and hunted for two weeks with us, you 100% would find that you need all those things accessible save maybe the emergency kit, because by definition it is for emergencies.
When something goes wrong and you run out of your 3-4 rounds in the gun and the animal is still moving, don’t worry you can use one our rifles. When we’re on a ridge and your lips start to bleed, we’re not going to stop so you can take your pack off and get chapstick. We’re not gong to stop a stalk on an animal because you left your pack a few feet back to crawl on an animal for a shot, that then turned into being several hundred yards away from it. And if we get far enough from your pack in the dark and you don’t have a light, you won’t be taking one of our emergency lights. And if for some reason we get lost, injured or stuck, while those around you have a Mylar blanket, snickers, and water tabs, you can stay up all night feeding the fire that was started by the others because you didn’t have a way to start one. All of these things, I and others have experienced while hunting. If your style of western hunting is like you are hunting in the east or the Midwest for deer- yeah maybe it won’t happen to you. Until it does.

When I go hunting my primary goal is to find and kill whatever animal I am after. The singular reason I am there. I love solitude, pretty birds, the sunrises and sunsets, and everything else. But those are all secondary to finding and killing the animal. If I want to watch birds or camp out I can do so in my yard.

My bino harness has binos, rangefinder, my phone, a small cow call, and a lens cloth. And that amount bugs me, but will concede I want it readily accessible. I truly dislike having it on my chest. All that extra stuff, no chance.

Again, ok. Who in this thread has said that you should do something else? I don’t want this post to be taken the wrong way- I am not intending to be rude. I am trying to explain why a chest pack might be designed a certain way- I don’t care if you use it or not. However, your reasons for not doing so, do not hold up to scrutiny or rigorous analysis for western spot and stalk backpack hunting for how a lot, or most do it.
There are things I do, and gear that I use that are not the norm, and are really only applicable to a minority of people or uses, and therefor I do not mention them. The reason that a chest pack might be designed like the new SG one shown in this thread, might be based on a very large sample size of issues and solutions to those issues. It isn’t for everyone, for sure.

 

[Formidilosus]

In rereading my response, it seems way more aggressive than I am intending. @prm and @woods89 please take my responses in the manner I intend them- just conversation and an explanation. I have probably poorly written it.

 

[woods89]

In rereading my response, it seems way more aggressive than I am intending. @prm and @woods89 please take my responses in the manner I intend them- just conversation and an explanation. I have probably poorly written it.

No issue on my part, none of my equipment systems are sacred.

 

[carsonkeys]

I’d love to see how guys are carrying pistols with these chest rigs.

The one reason I got away from a chest-rig style bino harness is because I could not comfortably/quickly carry nor draw a pistol from my kenai chest holster under one.

The only way that system is functional, for me, is a single pouch like a marsupial.

 

[woods89]

Pack separation is always a possibility, particularly in steep country if you take it off to air out or take a load off.

I just know I’d never want to be in a situation where I couldn’t access bare minimum survival gear such as a fire starter, knife, etc on my person at all times.

Additionally, there has been one time where I had to ditch my pack and run a half mile to a shooting position to make legal light. While I try to never leave my pack; this was a rare example where I decided to roll the dice and it resulted in success. If I dumped my pack and didn’t have a chest harness, i wouldn’t have been able to get organized, ID and range the target bull in time.

If I'm honest, I have to admit that I do leave my pack occasionally as well. I try not to, but....

I use stock packs on my rifles, so I always have extra ammo and a lense cloth in there. The biggest issue I have is a place for a headlamp and an emergency kit. Both really should be on my person at all times. Binos are RF, so that is consolidated.

 

[ljalberta]

I carry in my harness, binos, bino cloth, firestarter, range finder, wind checker, earplugs, a headlamp, extra ammo, a compass (and map if needed), phone, and if needed - inreach.

I’ve tried emergency kit and knife, but i prefer reducing items here. Granted, if I was dropping my pack on further stalks or hunting in a place with unrecognizable landmarks, I would be likely making a change.

Would absolutely suck to drop the pack and get carried away on a hunt without having made note or a pin where your pack is. I don’t plan on ever doing this, and I have a hard timing imagining there’s a single critter out there that would get me excited enough to do so.

But I get the reasoning why you would carry an emergency kit and knife.

 

[atmat]

… I was in my sleep clothes…

You can call them PJs. We all know you wear mountain jammies, Form.

Edit: will bear spray holder still attach on bottom?

 

[dirtytough]

I’m not sure why you are bringing up combat, other than to use it as a red herring. Hunting is a task. Do the task long enough, with enough different people, in enough varying environments, note the successes and the failures, and “optimum” solutions are going to show themselves.





It isn’t just about “require” it’s about optimization, but ok-

Binos don’t require quick access? Spare ammunition doesn’t require quick access? A TQ doesn’t require quick access? A flashlight doesn’t require quick access?





And packs get left behind all the time. I have had hunters that everyone on this board would know, that swear that they never take their pack off ever- do so the very first time I hunted or shot with them, and didn’t even recognize that they did so when it was pointed out. Of course when pointed out that they left their pack and crawled 20-100 yards away from it- most have tried to deny, downplay, or say “it’s never happened before”. Yeah, I’m sure it hasn’t. Just like people that claim they’ve never had to adjust their scope a single click when checking zero.


Sitting and glassing when an animal is spotted, then goes “just out of sight” and moving quickly a few yards to get a shot without packing up the bag and putting it on happens all the time to people that actually hunt in the west. It happened to me and those I hunted with probably 20 times this fall alone.
For a buddy and I the “quick 30 yard dash to get a shot on an elk” turned into being 250+ yards from my buddies pack (I grabbed mine), our tripod and spotter, Jet boil with breakfast, puff suit, etc. Then the next day a mad rush to get on animals moving through camp after waking up late meant I was in my sleep clothes and my bino pack only, and my buddy had his pants and top on with a rifle, but didn’t grab his bino pack or backpack. And that quick 30 yard dash turned into a 500 yard+ chase and rodeo that ultimately resulted in a missed opportunity because he didn’t have what he needed.






Ok. If you hunt a certain way that those things don’t matter, great.

My experience of hunting on average virtually nonstop in the west from the beginning of October to middle January, and then again for 30-60 days in the spring with between 8-15 different people a year is different. The amount of rodeos, screw ups and failures I’ve seen from the “I’ve never needed” crowd is astounding.




Ok? Who is trying to convince you that you need a chest pack?
I answered what you and woods wrote with “why” a bino pack might be designed a certain way. I could not care less how or what you carry.

I can tell you with absolute certainty (because everyone that has hunted with us twice has done so) that if you came and hunted for two weeks with us, you 100% would find that you need all those things accessible save maybe the emergency kit, because by definition it is for emergencies.
When something goes wrong and you run out of your 3-4 rounds in the gun and the animal is still moving, don’t worry you can use one our rifles. When we’re on a ridge and your lips start to bleed, we’re not going to stop so you can take your pack off and get chapstick. We’re not gong to stop a stalk on an animal because you left your pack a few feet back to crawl on an animal for a shot, that then turned into being several hundred yards away from it. And if we get far enough from your pack in the dark and you don’t have a light, you won’t be taking one of our emergency lights. And if for some reason we get lost, injured or stuck, while those around you have a Mylar blanket, snickers, and water tabs, you can stay up all night feeding the fire that was started by the others because you didn’t have a way to start one. All of these things, I and others have experienced while hunting. If your style of western hunting is like you are hunting in the east or the Midwest for deer- yeah maybe it won’t happen to you. Until it does.

When I go hunting my primary goal is to find and kill whatever animal I am after. The singular reason I am there. I love solitude, pretty birds, the sunrises and sunsets, and everything else. But those are all secondary to finding and killing the animal. If I want to watch birds or camp out I can do so in my yard.






Again, ok. Who in this thread has said that you should do something else? I don’t want this post to be taken the wrong way- I am not intending to be rude. I am trying to explain why a chest pack might be designed a certain way- I don’t care if you use it or not. However, your reasons for not doing so, do not hold up to scrutiny or rigorous analysis for western spot and stalk backpack hunting for how a lot, or most do it.
There are things I do, and gear that I use that are not the norm, and are really only applicable to a minority of people or uses, and therefor I do not mention them. The reason that a chest pack might be designed like the new SG one shown in this thread, might be based on a very large sample size of issues and solutions to those issues. It isn’t for everyone, for sure.

It is amazing how you have so many of the 0.1% situations. Truly amazing.

I am curious about something. My understanding is you and your friends are big about not needing bipods/tripods to shoot from because you shoot from your packs.

If you are using your packs for your rest a lot why would you leave your pack on a stock?

 

[Maverick1]

I tried a binocular harness. It was not a fit for ME. Bounced around like a pair of huge tits when hiking in the mountains. Snugged it up so it stopped bouncing around and it became a hot sweaty mess. Got in the way of my harness in the tree stand. Got in the way of my bridge when hunting from a saddle. Felt like I had a refrigerator strapped to my chest. Went back to the simple elastic bands. Simple and easy. Does not keep the binoculars clean or protected, but that's a tradeoff I make. KISS.

 

[roosiebull]

I’d love to see how guys are carrying pistols with these chest rigs.

The one reason I got away from a chest-rig style bino harness is because I could not comfortably/quickly carry nor draw a pistol from my kenai chest holster under one.

The only way that system is functional, for me, is a single pouch like a marsupial.

I use a razco bino harness holster. It’s not perfect but it’s my favorite compromise

 

[Formidilosus]

It is amazing how you have so many of the 0.1% situations. Truly amazing.

What’s 0.1% situations we you speaking to? Shooting more than 3 rounds and the animal is still up? Needing chapstick? Dropping your pack for a stalk? Other than the emergency blanket use and sleeping out due to being lost, I believe there are multiple forum members that I have hunted with and had happen every one of those situations I wrote about. One of the owners of this site has been involved in those situations multiple times with me.

In any case, are they really 0.1% situations? Or is it more likely that those situations could happen frequently but due to how people hunt or their skill/knowledge they don’t see the opportunities?

For the last decade I have averaged around 150 days or more per year actively hunting and between 20 and 40 big game animals a year. Those days do not include shooting, scouting, camping, etc. If someone says that shooting 3 rounds or more, or dropping your pack for a quick short move are 0.1% situations- they aren’t hunting or killing very much.

Because I am curious why you believe those things are so rare- how many game animals do you kill a year on average with a rifle?

I am curious about something. My understanding is you and your friends are big about not needing bipods/tripods to shoot from because you shoot from your packs.

If you are using your packs for your rest a lot why would you leave your pack on a stock?

Because it happens, and at least for myself and some of the people I am around, they can make shots without a pack or rest. I also hunt with quite a few people each year that haven’t been trained or practice how we do- they leave packs, binos, gear all the time.

 

[fishingmaniac]

Not wanting to jump the gun, but I have it on good authority that the new SG bino harness (including feedback from @Formidilosus) is ... not too far away.

Happy new year!

Be interesting to see what they did.

 

[prm]

All good on my part. It’s just gear talk, nothing personal. Let me back up and explain why I would even comment on this. Basically, the bino harness as a system is the one area I have not been totally satisfied. So, whenever I see something about a new harness I am interested. I have tried everything from Rick Young, to FhF straps added to my pack, to many of the available bino harnesses. The Imelda Marcos of bino harnesses! In every case I find them compromised in some way whether it be comfort, breathability, bulk, design, etc. I’ve concluded I really, really do not like wearing an additional harness and when I do, less is nearly always more when it comes to the design.
I do think through my gear and experiment to confirm ideas are good, and even try things I don’t think I’ll like just so I can be sure. I know what I might need, when I’ll need it, and under what conditions. We all do things differently, and sometimes the difference is surprising. When I see a system that involves that much stuff on another harness it’s almost incredulous to me. But that’s ok. We each get to use what we have tested and find works the best. I’ve tried putting more on a bino harness and I know It’s not for me. I’m looking for a different solution.
This has me thinking of new ways to carry and access stuff...

 

[Formidilosus]

All good on my part. It’s just gear talk, nothing personal. Let me back up and explain why I would even comment on this. Basically, the bino harness as a system is the one area I have not been totally satisfied. So, whenever I see something about a new harness I am interested. I have tried everything from Rick Young, to FhF straps added to my pack, to many of the available bino harnesses. The Imelda Marcos of bino harnesses! In every case I find them compromised in some way whether it be comfort, breathability, bulk, design, etc. I’ve concluded I really, really do not like wearing an additional harness and when I do, less is nearly always more when it comes to the design.
I do think through my gear and experiment to confirm ideas are good, and even try things I don’t think I’ll like just so I can be sure. I know what I might need, when I’ll need it, and under what conditions. We all do things differently, and sometimes the difference is surprising. When I see a system that involves that much stuff on another harness it’s almost incredulous to me. But that’s ok. We each get to use what we have tested and find works the best. I’ve tried putting more on a bino harness and I know It’s not for me. I’m looking for a different solution.
This has me thinking of new ways to carry and access stuff...

Yes sir. If someone just doesn’t tulle or need a chest pack/bino harness at all, then I wouldn’t use one either. What I was mostly referring to was the people that carry a bino pouch with a rangefinder pocket, etc already. From that to what I described is just a mag pouch addd to the other side with some stability added for those pouches instead of flipping al over, and a better designed harness. Hardly a large difference how most are, and one that isn’t compromised.

 

[Dobermann]

Be interesting to see what they did.

Sure would ... any other eagle-eyed people who have some screen shots from other SG gear images / videos?

 

[mtnwrunner]

Way back when.....actually a couple years before bino rigs came out.......I ended up processing a very large bull elk with a Leatherman. Because between my brother and I, that's all we had as our packs were a mile away and 800 feet up. Never again.
When I first saw the bino packs, I was instantly taken by the concept and still am.
I carry enough stuff to process an animal and to survive a few nights out if need be. And that NEVER comes off. Period.
Also, for the most part, my main pack stays with me too, but I could see situations where one might be separated a SHORT distance from that.

Randy